<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>an apology goes a long way by faithtriestowritestuff</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26579377">an apology goes a long way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithtriestowritestuff/pseuds/faithtriestowritestuff'>faithtriestowritestuff</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we have an understanding, you and i [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Anne with an E (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, F/M, I'm Sorry, Not Canon Compliant, but - Freeform, first shirbert fic, i hope i didn't destroy them, it's a mess, this sucks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:00:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26579377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithtriestowritestuff/pseuds/faithtriestowritestuff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Anne flies off the handle one too many times, and Gilbert isn’t having it</p><p>(imagine annoyed gilbert at the train, but this time it doesn’t lead to winnie)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gilbert Blythe &amp; Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>we have an understanding, you and i [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>an apology goes a long way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne Shirley Cuthbert was having a terrible day, and just like in Anne fashion, she let everyone know it.</p><p>It had been a particularly irritating week for Anne, what with her monthly cycle showing up out of nowhere and her having to endure humiliations in front of Gil-everyone, and though there were both unrelated incidents, they were definitely conflated when it came to her being upset over it.</p><p>So she had a very obvious frown on her face, something which Diana easily noted.</p><p>“Anne, are you alright?” Diana asked cautiously, well aware of her friend’s fiery temper.</p><p>“Of course not, Diana! How could I be when life constantly keeps throwing curveballs that I, in fact no one, would actually ask for? Why does everything have to be so frustrating to the point that I can’t even think of words that would properly express my rage at it-argh!”</p><p>This would be the point where Anne would’ve run to one of her nooks to simmer down, but she controlled her urge to.</p><p>“It will be alright soon, Anne. I’m sure it looks bleak now, but things will look up soon. They always do,” Diana tried to comfort her friend, wondering if it had anything to do with a certain boy.</p><p>But she knew better than that to actually question Anne about it, lest her friend turn into more of an angry mess.</p><p>“Yes, in my heart, I know that as well as you do, my bosom friend. But sometimes life can really convince you that it’s less tragical and more of a stomping ground when it comes to your emotions and things like social respect-”</p><p>Yeah, something probably happened, Diana mused silently.</p><p>“Come on, cheer up. We don’t have many carefree days left, and I’m pretty sure you do not want to spend the rest of them sulking,” Diana smiled at Anne who straightened herself up with a huff</p><p>“You’re absolutely right. I should try to focus on the positive side of things,” Anne declared, smiling at Diana.</p><p>-</p><p>In her defense, Anne had really tried.</p><p>She really had, what with repeating it to herself and focusing on it so hard she had almost given herself a headache because of it.</p><p>Unfortunately, life seemed to have other plans.</p><p>So it wasn’t a surprise that after having to shoot down multiple advances from Charlie Sloane, who was persistent if not really dense, and getting a consequent headache from worrying about how to make him understand that she wasn’t interested, she lashed out at the next person who approached her while she was sitting alone at a desk, glaring and forlorn at the same time.</p><p>Unfortunately, though she kept promising herself she wouldn’t, life had other plans.</p><p>Gilbert Blythe had become the unwitting recipient of her annoyance.</p><p>What else was new at this point?</p><p>-</p><p>Whenever it came to Anne Shirley Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe’s feelings were all over the place.</p><p>However, he was sure of one thing.</p><p>He had no idea why she lashed out at him, when all he had done was inquire about her.</p><p>It had come from a sense of shame (and a little bit of concern, if he was being honest) Though Anne had been the first one to lash out at him the last time (and truth be told, all the times before it too), he had responded in a manner that made him feel a bit guilty after it.</p><p>Half the time, he had no idea what was on that fiery redhead’s mind, and sometimes he actually wondered whether she actually liked him. At all.</p><p>It was a stupid thought, but it nagged him whenever Anne flew into an outburst, a significant amount of them at him.</p><p>And truth be told, Gilbert was getting a bit tired of walking on eggshells around her. Other than the time he had pulled her braid and called her ‘Carrots’, which had clearly struck a nerve, he honestly had no clue why Anne was always so quick to anger. </p><p>Sometimes his friendship or whatever it was that he had with Anne felt like pulling teeth.</p><p>However Gilbert always put his slight annoyance at the back of his mind, even forgetting about it whenever he saw her smile at him.</p><p><em> Get a hold of yourself, Gilbert. You promised yourself you’d move on, </em> he told himself, trying to think about something other than Anne.</p><p>Well, there was his meeting with Winifred. The thought of it made him smile slightly, but for some inexplicable reason, there was a sinking feeling too.</p><p>Considering that the mess his thoughts was, and that he was still a bit sore from Anne’s last outburst at him (could she <em> not </em> get angry at him all the time?), it was a given that he reacted to Anne getting annoyed at him.</p><p>All he had done, to his knowledge, was ask her if she was alright, considering that she looked angry and hurt in a way that tugged at something inside him.</p><p>He was worried about her.</p><p>So to have her respond with “Could <em> you </em> please <em> not </em> talk to me right now?” made him feel quite annoyed himself.</p><p>“You know what,” he heard himself say quietly, “I’ll do it if that’s what you really want.”</p><p>Anne looked at him surprised, as if just then realizing the implications of her words (and his too, he supposed)</p><p>“What?” she asked him, her eyes wide.</p><p>Gilbert shot down the little bit of guilt he felt, though he didn’t know why.</p><p>He chose instead to shrug at her question. “I’m not talking to you, since that’s what you seem to want.”</p><p>And so after watching Anne flounder for words, which was a rare occurrence in itself, he walked away from her resolutely, clenching his jaw to keep his resolve.</p><p>Gilbert Blythe, though he felt something for Anne Shirley Cuthbert that he couldn’t quite explain, was not a psychic.</p><p>-</p><p>Anne felt terrible. She really did.</p><p>She wanted to apologise but her brain seemed to have stopped working when she needed it to.</p><p>So she sat there, and tried to find the proper words to express how she felt, while Gilbert Blythe walked away from her.</p><p>Anne would be lying if she said that didn’t hurt.</p><p>-</p><p>By the time she had gathered her wits, he had made it clear that he had been absolutely serious about what he had said. </p><p>Anne could literally feel that she had hurt him with her words. Though, she didn’t understand why Gilbert took those to heart, she had the awareness to admit that she had been out of line, and it was not like it was just this time.</p><p><em> Why do I always keep ruining things when it comes to him? </em> She wondered to herself.</p><p>-</p><p>Gilbert was calming down, but he didn’t think he could handle being brushed off by Anne again. </p><p>He could understand if she didn’t feel the same he did (everytime he thought otherwise Anne brought up Ruby) but he didn’t think he had done anything worthy of being treated like this.</p><p>It also wasn’t like Anne was like this with everyone. Gilbert knew how affectionate she was with her friends, and how passionate she could be which somehow made it worse</p><p>She had apologised and aired out their past grievances, and she was always so sincere about it, which was probably why Gilbert kept forgiving her.</p><p>Well, that and the fact that she always made him smile-</p><p>Gilbert tried not to let his mind go there.</p><p>Maybe this was Anne’s way of letting him know that there was no point in pursuing her.</p><p>And he would honor her wishes by taking the hint.</p><p>-</p><p><em> How many times can a person say sorry until it loses its meaning? </em> Anne wondered, clasping her hands.</p><p>She knew that she had done more than her fair share of apologizing over the years, but though she was a person who tried to learn from her mistakes, when it came to Gilbert all she seemed to do was find new ways to put her foot in it.</p><p>She found her gaze drawn to him, and her nervousness increased as she wondered how she could make things right with him.<br/>
Why was she so worried about his opinion of her?</p><p>They were <em> practically </em> family, her mind answered itself quickly.</p><p>Yes, that was probably why.</p><p>Anne realised that she was still looking at Gilbert, who had his gaze set on his book.</p><p><em> Just be sincere and to the point, </em> Anne thought to herself. </p><p>She had a feeling that was more appropriate than a long, dramatic apology.</p><p>Anne let out a breath, trying to exhale all her nervousness away.</p><p>-</p><p>Gilbert was already having a hard time concentrating, what with the constant chatter of the people around him and his inner turmoil.</p><p>He was trying to figure out why he felt so hurt over such a throwaway comment that wasn’t worth all this thought.</p><p>“Gilbert?” </p><p>It seemed like he wasn’t going to get any studying done that day then.</p><p>-</p><p>Anne wasn’t sure if she had imagined it, but she was almost sure that Gilbert had seemed to steady himself before looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“I -” Anne started and then stopped, unsure.</p><p>“Did you forget what you wanted to say?” Gilbert’s words evoked the memory of another time, when she had let her curiosity get the better of her.</p><p>“I’m really sorry,” Anne blurted out.</p><p>Gilbert raised his eyebrow some more, but he said nothing.</p><p>“I was having a bad day, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you when you did nothing. And, this isn’t the first time either,” she finished quietly, looking at her knotted hands.</p><p>“I’m sorry Gilbert,” Anne said again, hoping that it was enough.</p><p>“It’s okay,” he said quietly, surprising the both of them.<br/>
She met his gaze again, and there was something in it that she couldn’t decipher.</p><p>“Thank you for being so forgiving,” Anne smiled a bit as she remembered that she hadn’t said anything.</p><p>Gilbert smiled back, his a bit <em> teasing(?) </em></p><p>“Well, you’d have thought that by now, I’d have figured out that approaching you when you look like that was a bad idea.”</p><p>Anne looked down, slightly embarrassed as Gilbert rubbed the side of his head.</p><p>At least they had made things right, which was what mattered in the end, when it came to them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so......this was my first fic and yes, it is a mess.<br/>i swear this started out as kind of a funny one shot but somehow as time went by, it turned to this angsty pile of garbage.<br/>i really hope i didn't butcher the characters or make you hate this lol<br/>i haven't seen the show in a while so this might be more fanfic than canon compliant which was what i intended this to be so oops.</p><p>anyway, hope you like this?</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>